Cycling in general is great for fitness and very enjoyable as well. The rush of wind in your face and the feeling of freedom as you carve through the air is a feeling many enjoy. While riding you can cover vast distances and take in a lot of scenery within the space of a couple of hours. It is no wonder that the sport has proved itself so popular.

Basic cycling gear consists of shorts, jerseys, sports or cycling socks and appropriate footwear. To start with, avoid anything that is made of cotton or regular plastic fiber. You will find that cycling specific clothing will keep you more comfortable on the bike, prevent chafing, allow for free movement and muscle compression. It keeps you cool by wicking moisture away from your body, won’t get stuck in the chain and with the variety of styles – look good on anyone.

As cycling is an extremely demanding sport, the intense muscle activity triggers a high degree of sweating. Today’s bicycle wear is made of materials that have the ability to wick moisture away from your body and help regulate the skin temperature, keeping you warm or cool. This means that rather than the perspiration remaining on your skin, (cooling and making you feel cold, or you becoming to hot and sticky to the point where chaffing begins) it is drawn up and through the material where it can evaporate. In common with clothing for a number of other sports, you should be looking for a performance material that has this wicking effect.

Cycling jerseys, sometimes referred to as compression clothing, can help reduce energy expenditure. The compression assists the riders in managing the vibrations that the muscles have to deal with during vigorous movements and therefore reduce energy consumption. These new fibers are light; they don’t shrink and will take cleaning in the washing machine. They also last longer and dry left hanging in the air. This is actually the area when a quality bike jersey makes a big difference due to the capacity to evaporate moisture in a short period of time, while also keeping it away from the skin.

Another important thing that is needed for riders for a comfortable ride is a cycling short with padded insert. This will give comfort to long time riders and keeps them away from saddle soreness. Cycling shorts are equipped with padding called a chamois; that prevents chafing and adds comfort. Generally, underwear is not worn with cycling shorts as it can get twisted and cause chafing. The materials used for cycling shorts are similar to the shirts designed for compression to minimize fatigue and to wick moisture away from the skin.

A sports bra can be beneficial for a woman to ride in. If a woman is engaged in serious biking she will find any sports bra that restricts bounce helpful. Even women riding casually on the pavement may be more comfortable in a sports bra and any athletic type wear is more likely to wick moisture than other kinds of bras.

Where ever you’re shopping pick the clothing which suits your physique. It is hard to determine proper fit as this type of sports wear is manufactured around the world and sizing isn’t always consistent. So take your measurements. Use a flexible tape measure to figure out the measurements for your neck, bust, waist, torso length, hips, arm length, back width and shoulder width and use these sizes when possible for ordering. When ordering online (and you often can find them cheaper online) you may want to try some on at your local bike shop to help figure out sizing.

So how can one know which of the many bike clothes to choose? The price is usually one good indicator of the quality of a specific brand or type. The higher the price, the more likely the technology used in its manufacturing is advanced and useful. Also, bicycle clothing designed under a well known brand name is far more reliable than a no-name one. Although there are less expensive products that actually are worth buying, it’s just hard to tell the quality of such clothing.

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